I'm not an electrician but I some clever heads together

[The Ghost]

If you have had the supply checked we might rule out spikes and power surges. If you have had the electrical system checked you should not be getting sparks from you socket. If you are then it has not been checked properly. Have you always plugged into the same sparkly socket? It (btw) is arcing the sparking meaning a defective socket. Which I am sure should not have been missed on checking. However I cannot see how that would affect your computer(s) so adversely. It is strange that the various computer suppliers could not give further info on what actually happened to your equipment when repairing or replacing. I presume you have tried other sockets?

 

[Pat H]

Curious how you can see the GPU damaged. The GPU is the Graphic Processor unit used for the display. The CPU is the Central Proccessing unit. But both are normally covered by a massive heatsink assembly. They can't normally be seen without disassembly.
I'm wondering if you are seeing another on board component damaged that's not a GPU or CPU and maybe that part, if correctly identified, would give a clue. Any pictures of damaged parts?

 

[sparksburnout]

I have seen this problem before. The naturally occurring lines of tectonic EMF are being focused onto your GPU, it only happens very rarely. You need to contact your DNO and ask them to conduct a Incedental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey.

 

[shaun1]

You mention replacing cables but have all of these machines been connected to the same monitor? Is the monitor connected to the same circuit?

 

[beachlover]

Curious how you can see the GPU damaged. The GPU is the Graphic Processor unit used for the display. The CPU is the Central Proccessing unit. But both are normally covered by a massive heatsink assembly. They can't normally be seen without disassembly.
I'm wondering if you are seeing another on board component damaged that's not a GPU or CPU and maybe that part, if correctly identified, would give a clue. Any pictures of damaged parts?

Yes I did see the damage to the graphic card
I heard it sparking and smelled it burning. When I took the card out I could could see the silver solder on the card had gone black. Burnt
I have got a picture
Give me a bit of time to figure out how to upload it from my phone as I have no computer to change the extension of the pics I took
I can assure you it was a burnt graphic card the nvidia 1060 I paid a lot of money for (crys)

 

[beachlover]

I have seen this problem before. The naturally occurring lines of tectonic EMF are being focused onto your GPU, it only happens very rarely. You need to contact your DNO and ask them to conduct a Incedental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey.

Right
I will do that today
I had them monitor the meter before for about a week
They wouldn't do it any longer as they said the equipment is expensive and the only had one of them.
I have heard of EMI
This is the stuff that can make your internet have drops? REIN ? And you can detect it with a medium wave radio?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I did try a different socket in the same room and that particular computer lasted about a week ( forgot which one as I have had so many)
By the way I did think it could be the monitor so I spent a week just using my tv a a monitor and same happened
GPU had to be replaced. To be fair the companies I bought the computers from have been very supportive and even they cannot understand how many times I have components replaced

 

[beachlover]

Right
I will do that today
I had them monitor the meter before for about a week
They wouldn't do it any longer as they said the equipment is expensive and the only had one of them.
I have heard of EMI
This is the stuff that can make your internet have drops? REIN ? And you can detect it with a medium wave radio?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree?

I did try a different socket in the same room and that particular computer lasted about a week ( forgot which one as I have had so many)
By the way I did think it could be the monitor so I spent a week just using my tv a a monitor and same happened
GPU had to be replaced. To be fair the companies I bought the computers from have been very supportive and even they cannot understand how many times I have components replaced

There is a photo of the GPU after I took it out
You can clearly see the black burnt bits that where previously silver

I'm not an electrician but even I know that a graphic card should not burn after five day's
Those nvidia cards are pretty robust and anyone who has put on in or out of a PCI slot will know

 

[DPG]

I don't believe damage of that severity would be caused by emi. Do you know any of your neighbours well enough to try your PC in their house and see if anything amiss happens? This may help narrow things down. Also, and apologies if you have tried this, have you tried a laptop on its own with nothing else plugged into it at all except the power supply? Daz

 

[David Prosser]

I think SSE are normally booked out for months in advance for doing the Incidental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey as it seams to be quite a common problem down there.

 

[beachlover]

I don't believe damage of that severity would be caused by emi. Do you know any of your neighbours well enough to try your PC in their house and see if anything amiss happens? This may help narrow things down. Also, and apologies if you have tried this, have you tried a laptop on its own with nothing else plugged into it at all except the power supply? Daz

Thanks to all of you for your time and suggestions
Thant pic was of the previous GPU
I have a pic of the current GPU and something similar has happened and I can see a smal burnt bit on one of the silver soldered places

If not electro magnetic stuff then what the heck can it be?

I don't own a laptop but I have previously and they have had to be returned to the manufacturer with damaged GPU/motherboard
Bearing in mind nvidia normally solder the gpus to their motherboard

I did think to ask my neighbour if I could run a lead across the road to see if still happened in my house
I don't think that would be ideal though as a car might hit the lead . LOL
I can't really go park myself into his house for five days
His wife might not like that ... just sayin

What should I ask the electrician to test for when he comes next week?
I'm gonna ask him to change the sockets and ask him why I see sparks

What else ?

I think SSE are normally booked out for months in advance for doing the Incidental Diagnostic Ionospheric Or Tectonic survey as it seams to be quite a common problem down there.

thank you david
I have asked anyway hopefully sse will get back to me soon. By the way I already did the radon report thing online and this is a low radon area.
I don't mind waiting months
This problem Has been blowing up my computers since I move here in November 2013 so waiting another few months won't matter
All I want is to come home from work switched on a computer and use it like everyone else in the U.K. Is able to without fear of it blowing, causing a fire risk or having to ask the manufacturer for yet another refund

I'm just desperate to find the problem

What did you mean by it is common down here? Could it be the mast on the fire station nearby?

 

[David Prosser]

What did you mean by it is common down here? Could it be the mast on the fire station nearby?

Could you post some pictures of the mast, has it got any dishes on it ?

 

[beachlover]

What did you mean by it is common down here? Could it be the mast on the fire station nearby?

Could you post some pictures of the mast, has it got any dishes on it ?

I can tommorow its dark now
But I think they are mobile phone masts

 

[DPG]

If it's EMI that's cooked those PCBs then you would have been microwaved by now! I must admit I'm confused by this one. All I was thinking is that if you could power your PC up in another house somewhere it may help to eliminate things. Daz

 

[beachlover]

If it's EMI that's cooked those PCBs then you would have been microwaved by now! I must admit I'm confused by this one. All I was thinking is that if you could power your PC up in another house somewhere it may help to eliminate things. Daz

Yes and that is a good thought
I lived in my previous house for 20 years and I probably had only three or or 4 pcs in that whole time
As soon as I moved here I go through 8 brand new PC s per year with over 4 different companies and nearly 30 to 40 replacement componants
I have considered moving house but that is not really an option

 

[DPG]

Just thinking about the sparks from switches on sockets - cheap sockets can do this, especially when switching high power or inductive loads. This is not the case with a PC and I would not expect this to happen.
The destruction of computer components is presumably due to excess voltage, possibly as spikes. For this to happen would need quite a big surge because as others have said above, the PSU would probably take the hit first. Possible though.
You need the services of someone who is not your average sparky. Further analysis of the power supply over many hours (not the idiot test though ) and also checking of any earth currents that may be present. Also worth checking the potential differences between the various computer parts and every part of the electrical system in your house also.
Keep us informed of any further happenings or if you get anybody in to look at it. It's a good one.
Daz

 

[Barry White]

PSU power supplies can have a large inrush current and hence the spark when first plugged in.(many chinese copys have little protection and are worse)

 

[DPG]

True, but wouldn't expect a spark at the switch of the 13A socket when it was switched on. Daz

 

[Davisonp]

I have a few thoughts.

1) I would be tempted to try a Z reading between Live and neutral at the incomer of the consumer unit and outgoing connectors of the RCD to ensure there is not a high resistance fault somewhere in the neutral. It is a test that is not necessarily recorded as part of an EICR (Electrical Inspection). If the value is bad, then the PFC reported on the form will be the reading between Live and earth and a high neutral resistance may be missed. I am not sure a high neutral resistance would cause this but I know neutral problems can have odd effects and most things have been ruled out.

2) Is undervoltage a possibility? The 230 Volt regulators will prevent overvoltage and spikes, but will it do anything if the voltage drops to an unacceptable level? Less voltage means higher current, and more heat. I know many PC power supplies can cope with a wide range of voltages, but are the computers that have burnt out using power supplies that can run on 110Volts (American standard) or ones that require 230Volts? There are posts on PC web sites that suggest prolonged undervoltage can damage PC’s (mostly power supplies) and I understand that things like washing machines have a significantly reduced lifespan if the voltage is regularly lower than acceptable (one job I worked on had prolonged periods where one phase was at 195 Volts, one at 215 volts, and the third phase at 235 volts, so it can happen).

3) Is the supply listed on the electrical inspection described as TN-S, TN-C-S or TT?
TN-C-S with neutral supply problems may create problems.

 

[amlu]

another thing to look at -
floating ground to some equipment? due to things getting overcomplicated the computer is not grounded properly, causing ground loops thru usb or other communication cables...

 

[dmxtothemax]

I'am inclined to believe that the GPU is just being pushed beyond it's limits,
sort of like an over clocked CPU, it will put up with it for a while
But eventually it will die !
What are you processing ?
Can you instal better cooling on the GPU ?
like a bigger CPU fan.